Apparatus for introducing fuel adjuncts into internal combustion engines



Sept. 1, 1936. J. H.'GRAVELL 2,052,763

APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL ADJUNCTS INTO INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed June 25, 1951 W/f/VESS: J 7

Grave W) 5 WW Patented Sept. 1, 1936 APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING FUEL AD- JUNCTS INTO INTERNAL COIVIBUSTION ENGINES James H. Gravell, Elkins Park, Pa.

Application June 25, 1931, Serial No. 546,819 Renewed November 4, 1933 3 Claims. (Cl. 123-198) This invention relates to internal combustion 3 The single figure of the drawing is a diagramengines and specifically applies to providing an matic sectional view. apparatus for introducing fuel adjuncts into the In the drawing, A is a vacuum tank adapted same. for holding the adjunct B. C is a conduit extend- 5 Internal combustion engines, especially those ing from above the level of the adjunct and com- 5 used for propelling automobiles, are prone to the municating with the intake manifold D of an accumulation of carbon or soot in their combusinternal combustion engine, such as an automotion chambers which, occupying the space allotted bile engine. To bring the air exhausted from the to compressed explosive admixtures, causes extank into intimate contact with the adjunct, I

cessive compression, and results in a "ping or provide a wick E extending from the adjunct to 10 knock, which aside from the objectionable the tank terminus of the conduit C. For the purnoise, interferes with the efiiciency of the said pose of holding the wick in place, I have entered engine. v it into the conduit and secured it thereto by a In order to avoid the accumulation of carbon, pin G. For filling purposes, I have provided an various fuel adjuncts are introduced into theenaperture H which is closed to maintain a vacuum 15 glue, to remove or prevent the carbon, or, failing by the screw cap I. J is a suitable washer to in this, to at least silence the ping. Such subassist in maintaining the vacuum. K is the throtstances as water, kerosene, aniline, benzol, alcotie for controlling the explosive charge of the hol, lead tetraethyl, ammonia, and the like, used engine; the solid lines show the throttle closed singly or collectively, have been proposed for this and the dotted lines show the throttle open. 20 purpose. To operate my apparatus, I first fill the vacuum There has been such great diiiiculty in properly tank A by way of the closable aperture H, up to introducing the adjuncts, that only those which the liquid level shown at, M, with any suitable can be actually mixed with the fuel prior to carliquid fuel adjunct, as, for example, an admixburetion, have found public favor. ture of three parts of ethyl alcohol and one part 25 The objects of this invention are, to provide an of 26 ammonia water; all by volume. The openapparatus that will successfully introduce into the ing H is then closed by the screw cap I, thus preengine desired fuel adjunctsingeneral; toprovide venting any air from leaking into my vacuum such an apparatus that is simple in principle and tank. The adjunct immediately wets the wick E 30 inexpensive to construct and install, and which and rises by capillary attraction to that portion 30 will be automatic in action and to generally imof the wick which obstructs the end of the conprove the art of internal combustion engine duit C. operation. As the throttle K is operated to control the The invention is based on my observation that engine, the vacuum in the intake manifold varies as the throttle of an internal combustion engine from maximum to minimum. When the vacuum 35 is manipulated to control speed or power, the increases, as would be the case when the throttle pneumatic pressure in the intake manifold of K is closed as shown by the solid lines, air is exthe engine increases and diminishes and that hausted from the vacuum tank, through the when a vacuum tank is connected to the said wetted wick and into the conduit and then to the manifold by a conduit, air is exhausted from, and intake manifold where it mixes with the explosive 40 returned to, the tank as the pressure in the mancharge and is carried into the engine. The pasifold falls and rises. sage of the air through the wick wetted with the I have further observed that this effect may be adjunct, enables the air to pick up portions of used to introduce fuel adjuncts into the engine, the adjunct in the form of vapor or spray which but the air exhausted from the vacuum tank must are carried with the air into the engine to there 45 be brought into intimate contact with the adproduce the desired result. junct, without disturbing the carburetion of the When the vacuum is decreased in the intake engine, which, of course, would follow the intromanifold D, which would be the case when the duction of uncarbureted air into the intake manithrottle K is opened, as shown by the dotted lines,

fold, or without passing the adjuncts through the to increase the speed or power of the engine, air 50 carburetor which, being a delicate apparatus rushes back into the vacuum tank through the might be chemically affected thereby. conduit C and in so doing is brought into intimate In order to commercially accomplish this, I procontact with the adjunct by passing through that vide an apparatus shown in the single figure of portion of the wetted wick which obstructs the the accompanying drawing. end of the conduit, thereby absorbing portions 55 of the adjunct and ready to be exhausted when the throttle is again closed. 7

The apparatus as shown in the drawing may of course be modified in many respects without departing from the essence of my invention. For instance, the vacuum tank may be mounted at a distance from the intake manifold and the conduit C may be extended by a flexible tube to make connection with the intake manifold; the conduit may enter the tank through the closure for the aperture H instead of entering the tank through the bottom as shown, or the conduit C may even enter the tank through the top. When solid adjuncts are used, the conduit may enter the tank at most any point, in which case air baffles may be the means employed to bring the air exhausted from the tank into intimate contact with the adjunct.

A vacuum tank, having a capacity of about one pint, and when the wick and conduit have a crosssection of about one eighth of a square inch filled with the alcohol-ammonia adjunct, described above, will empty itself in about two hundred miles when employed on the average eight cylinder automobile engine. The adjunct is then renewed from time to time as needs require. I have found the feeding speed of my apparatus depends to a large extent on the cross-section of that portion of the wick obstructing the conduit and on the aperture of the tank end of the conduit C; by making the cross-section of the wick and the diameter of the tank end of the conduit smaller the speed of feeding the adjunct is reduced; hence by proper dimensioning the feeding speed may be regulated to suit requirements. I have found that good results may be accomplished in refilling my vacuum tank every five hundred miles. I

I do not intend to be limited in the practice of my invention save as the scope, of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for introducing fuel adjuncts into an internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising in combination an intake manifold for supplying fuel to the engine, a throttle valve controlling the flow of fuel through said manifold,

a vacuum tank constructed to hold fuel adjunct and a gas from said fuel adjunct, a conduit extending from said vacuum tank above the level 5 of the fuel adjunct therein to the intake manifold at a point between said throttle and the engine, and a wick in said tank extending into the adjunct therein and into the outlet of said conduit from said tank.

2. Apparatus for introducing fuel adjuncts into and internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an intake manifold for supplying fuel to the engine, a throttle valve controlling the flow of fuel through said manifold, a vacuum tank constructed to hold fuel adjunct and the vapor of the said fuel adjunct, which tank has but one opening, said opening being above the level of the adjunct therein, a

, conduit tightly connected to said opening and extending from said opening in the vacuum tank to the intake manifold,'to which manifold it is tightly connected at a point between the said throttle and the engine, and means within said tank for equilibrating the vapor exhausted from said tank with the adjunct therein. 7

3. Apparatus for introducing fuel adjuncts into an internal combustion engine, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an intake manifold for supplying fuel to the engine, a throttle valve controlling the flow of fuel through .aid manifold, a vacuum tank constructed to hold fuel adjunct and the vapor of the said fuel adjunct, which tank has but one opening, said opening being above the level of the adjunct therein, a conduit tightly connected to said opening and extending from said opening in the vacuum tank to the intake manifold, to which manifold it is tightly connected at a point between the said throttle and the engine, and a wick in said tank and spaced from said manifold for equilibrating the vapor exhausted from said tank with the. adjunct therein.

JAMES H. GRAVELL. 

